Growing Movement
for Pesticide-Free Parks(Beyond
Pesticides, May 15, 2003) On May 7, 2003, officials of
Wichita, Kansas announced plans to ban the use of pesticides in 10 of
the city's 105 parks, according to the Wichita Eagle. Instead
of synthetic chemicals, the city will focus on less toxic methods of
pest control and the use of native plant species, such as redbud trees
and buckbrush instead of flowering crabapples and spirea.

Vice Mayor Sharon Fearey said the community would be invited to give
its opinion of how the plan was working. It is hoped that the pesticide-free
zones will extend to other parks in the city. This reduction in pesticides
provides a lead for homeowners by educating them on the potential dangers
of chemical use and the possibilities for a healthy, chemical-free lawn.
Trix Niernberger, a member of the volunteer Wichita Board of Park Commissioners,
commented, "We want to raise the public's awareness with the hope
that it will be a community wide effort. We want to start slow so people
get used to the idea."

Wichita is following the lead of Lawrence, KS, where three parks, totaling
12 acres, were designated as pesticide-free last spring. This story
was covered by Beyond Pesticides in the May
27, 2002 edition of Daily News. In addition, Seattle
designated six parks as pesticide-free in 2001. In all of these
cases, local advocates for health and the environment initiated positive
change. Such successful results provide an example and motivation for
further change, which ultimately amounts to positive change on a global
scale.

For information
and resources to help reduce pesticide use in your community, contact
Beyond Pesticides.